Bacillus cereus strain Z8

ABSTRACT

A novel strain of Bacillus cereus, designated Z8 is useful as a biocontrol agent to combat fungal damping off disease in field crop plants. Z8 produces the antibiotic zwittermicin A. Strain Z8 is distinguished from other zwittermicin-producing Bacillus cereus strains by resistance to phage P7, antibiotic resistance, and colony morphology.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not applicable.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH

Not applicable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Significant research has been conducted in recent years on the use of biological agents to increase agricultural productivity and efficiency. Biological control using microorganisms to suppress plant pests or to supplement plant growth is an attractive alternative to chemical pesticides which are less favored because of concerns about human health and environmental quality. Biological agents effective in the laboratory or in the field to combat pests or facilitate plant growth can be obtained in screening programs.

"Biological control" is defined as suppressing a pathogen using a second organism. Mechanisms of biological control are diverse. For example, certain bacteria can biologically control fungal root rot in alfalfa by competing with the fungi for space on the surface of the alfalfa roots. In contrast, a toxin produced by one species of bacteria may be used to control another species of bacteria that appears as a pathogen. Bacterially produced antibiotics are examples of such toxins. The toxin can be isolated from the species producing it and administered directly, as is the common procedure with penicillin, or the species itself may be administered under appropriate circumstances to produce the toxin in situ. Once identified, such toxins produced by soil-dwelling bacteria may have utility in diverse other areas as antifungal or antibiotic agents.

A biological control agent of scientific and economic significance is Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). B. thuringiensis strains produce toxic proteins (Bt toxins) that specifically kill certain insects with different strains exhibited in target range and efficacy. In addition, methods exist for stabilizing and applying such Bt toxins, or strains harboring them, to a wide variety of field crop situations. Understanding gained by studying B. thuringiensis strains was largely transferable to other strains since toxins required for biological control and methods for preparing inocula for field use can be similar among strains.

A specific Bacillus cereus strain UW85 (ATCC 53522), has biocontrol efficacy in many applications. UW85 protects alfalfa seedlings from damping off caused by Phytophthora medicaginis (Pmm), protects tobacco seedlings from Phytophthora nicotianae, protects cucumber fruits from rot caused by Pythium aphanidermatum, and protects peanuts from Sclerotinia minor. UW85 is also described, by reference to its ATCC number in U.S. Pat. No. 4,877,738. UW85 also produces two compounds having antifungal and antibacterial activity independently contribute to suppressing damping off fungi. The more potent of these compounds, a novel aminopolyol is designated zwittermicin A. The second compound is kanosamine, an aminoglycoside antibiotic.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is summarized in that a Bacillus cereus strain having the characteristics of B. cereus strain Z8 (ATCC No. 202075) isolated from the environment, protects and fosters the growth and establishment of alfalfa and tomato plants.

The present invention is also summarized in that a method for fostering the growth of alfalfa or tomato seedlings by the applying an inoculum that includes as its active agent a novel Bacillus cereus isolate designated Z8 (ATCC No. 202075).

Other objects, advantages, and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following specification.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

Not applicable.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a substantially pure culture of a novel bacterial strain designated B. cereus strain Z8. Strain Z8, isolated from soil, exerts biological control over species of fungi responsible for damping off and root rot in plants. Strain Z8 has been deposited in the American Type Culture Collection, 10801 University Blvd., Manassas, Va. 20110-2209, and assigned the accession number ATCC 202075.

It is anticipated that one may obtain mutants of Z8 that also provide biological control comparable to that provided by Z8 using standard mutagenesis and selection techniques known to one of ordinary skill in the art. These mutant strains may be obtained in substantially pure cultures.

A "substantially pure" culture means a culture of a bacteria, containing no other bacterial species in quantities sufficient to interfere with replication of the culture or to be detectable by normal bacteriological techniques.

The Bacillus cereus strain Z8 has biocontrol characteristics similar to those of B. cereus strain UW85 (ATCC 53522), described in more detail in U.S. Pat. No. 4,877,738 which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

Strain Z8 is one of a group of useful Bacillus cereus strains having biocontrol activity at least in part, because they naturally synthesize at least one antibiotic agent, notably an antibiotic toxin known by the coined term "zwittermicin A." This toxin is the subject of allowed patent application Ser. No. 08/207,335. The antibiotic or toxin is found in supernatant fluid and other bacteria-free fluid and culture medium removed from a culture of Z8 or of a protecting mutant of Z8. This toxin has been so characterized as to be identifiable independent of its source in cultures of Bacillus cereus. Zwittermicin A is a highly water soluble molecule of about 396 daltons. The molecule includes two amino groups, and is a poly-alcohol.

Strain Z8 is also characterized by resistance to phage P7, the ability to inhibit Erwinia herbicola, and the formation of white colonies on MES minimal medium.

In a second aspect, the present invention is also a method of protecting plants against damping off disease where the method comprises the step of placing in the vicinity of the plant to be protected an effective quantity of a bacteria selected from the group consisting of Bacillus cereuss Z8 (ATCC 202075) and a mutant thereof which retains the ability to protect plants from damping off disease.

The method by which the biological control referred to in the preceding paragraph may be verified to exist is the "plant protection assay" detailed below. "Biological control" of fungi causing damping off and root rot shall be deemed to exist if, when an effective quantity of Z8 or a protecting Z8 mutant, or an anti-fungal toxin or any other plant-protecting compound or molecule produced by Z8 or a Z8 mutant, is placed in the soil or other growing medium in the immediate vicinity of the plant to be protected, a statistically significant reduction in the symptoms of damping off or root rot occurs. An "effective quantity" to combat damping off and root rot shall be that quantity sufficient to result in such a statistically significant reduction of observable symptoms. Clearly, if no quantity of a bacteria or any toxin or other compound is an effective quantity as so defined, that bacteria, toxin, or compound is not capable of exerting biological control over the fungi causing damping off and root rot.

Z8 and those of its mutants capable of exerting such biological control can be referred to collectively as "protecting" bacteria. Bacillus cereuss antibiotic and other toxins capable of exerting such biological control can be referred to as "protecting" compounds or toxins. Plants, including seeds, seedlings, and mature plants, treated with such an effective quantity of protecting bacteria, their toxins, or Bacillus cereuss antibiotic can be referred to as "protected" from root rot or damping off.

The following is a disclosure of the plant protection assay whereby a test material such as a bacteria, a toxin, or the like, may be tested for its ability to exert biological control over a fungus capable of causing the symptoms of damping off or root rot. The seed or seedling of the plant to be protected is planted in a planting medium in the presence of damping off or root rot causing fungi. The planting medium may be a damp soil containing such fungi, vermiculite in water with the fungi present either in the vermiculite and water or in or on the seed or seedling, an agar-based formulation, or any other planting medium in which the seed or seedling will grow and the fungi may freely develop. The bacteria, toxin, or other test material is placed at least in the immediate vicinity of the seed or seedling. Such placement shall be understood to be in the "immediate vicinity" of the seed or seedling if any soluble test material or any soluble exudate of a bacteria being tested will be in actual contact with the germinating seedling.

Preferably, if seed is used, the seed is coated with the test material, and when the test material is so used with respect to a seed, it shall be referred to hereinafter as a "seed inoculum." The process of coating seed with a seed inoculum is generally well known to those skilled in the art, and any conventional method that does not require conditions sufficiently harsh to kill bacteria or destroy toxins or other materials included in the seed inoculum is adequate. An easy and preferred method is to suspend or dissolve the test material in a 1.5% aqueous solution of methyl cellulose. For convenience, it will be presumed hereinafter that the seed inoculum is a bacteria suspended in the methyl cellulose, although a dissolvable material such as a bacterial toxin may be handled in the same manner. The plant seed to be protected is added to the suspension and is mixed vigorously with it to coat the surface of the seed with the suspension. The seed may then be dried aseptically, preferably by being placed within a laminar flow hood on a sterile surface such as a sterile petri plate. The result is a dry, seed inoculum-coated seed. When the coated seed is planted in the planting medium, the test material accompanies it to reside in the immediate vicinity of the seed.

After a time sufficient for seedling growth and the expression of the symptoms of damping off, seedlings developing from the planted seed may be evaluated for visual evidence of protection, when compared to controls. In strains of alfalfa, soybeans, and snap beans known to be vulnerable to damping off, 2 weeks of growing time in a growth chamber at 24° C. with a 12 hour photoperiod was found to be a period sufficient for the expression of symptoms of damping off when seedlings were being grown in test tubes containing roughly 10³ zoospores of Pythium torulosum (Pt) or comparable, damping off-causing fungi. In strains of tomato known to be vulnerable to damping off, 9 days of growing time in a growth chamber at 24° C. with a 12 hour photoperiod was found to be a period sufficient for the expression of symptoms of damping off when seedlings were being grown in test tubes containing roughly 10³ zoospores of Pt or comparable, damping off-causing fungi. Protected seeds developed into seedlings visually indistinguishable from uninfected seeds while control seedlings developing from unprotected seeds were killed or, in the case of snap beans, exhibited brown lesions on roots and stems, stunted roots, rotted roots, and other visually apparent symptoms of root rot.

As will become apparent below, many strains of Bacillus cereus are useful as biocontrol agents and produce the antibiotic zwittermicin A. See Stabb, et al., "Zwittermicin A-Producing Strains of Bacillus cereuss from Diverse Soils," Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 60: 4404 (1994), incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Since application of purified zwittermicin A is contemplated, it is useful to quantitatively evaluate the levels of zwittermicin A produced by the various zwittermicin A-producing strains of B. cereus. This permits selection of high producing strains as candidates both for fermentation production of zwittermicin A as well as mutagenesis protocols to even further increase the production of zwittermicin A.

The procedure for quantitating the level of production of zwittermicin A is generally characterized as an end point dilution, and is described in detail in Silo-Suh, Appl. Environ. Microbiol., 60: 2023-2030 (1994), incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Briefly, dilutions of partially purified zwittermicin A samples and dilutions of predetermined amounts of zwittermicin A were subjected to high voltage electrophoresis. Zwittermicin A was detected by silver staining. The amount of antibiotic in the test sample was calculated by comparison of the end-point dilution at which zwittermicin A could be detected in the test sample as compared to the standard. The general limit of detection was 0.33 μg/ml. The level of zwittermicin A production was found to vary from sample to sample, but zwittermicin A production by Z8 generally exceeded the amount of zwittermicin A produced by UW85.

Using this quantitative analysis of zwittermicin A production described above, several newly isolated strains were identified which had levels of zwittermicin A production greater than UW85, ATCC 53522. In parallel experiments, UW85 produced about 14 micrograms of zwittermicin A per milliliter of culture media, whereas the newly isolated strain Z8 produced about 17 micrograms of zwittermicin A per milliliter of culture media.

The B. cereus strain Z8 (ATCC 202075) was isolated from a soil sample taken from Zamorano, Honduras. Unlike many of the newly isolated B. cereus biocontrol strains, Z8 can be distinguished from UW85 by colony morphology. On minimal media, colonies of Z8 are white, whereas UW85 produces sectored orange colonies. Furthermore, Z8 is distinguishable from UW85 in that Z8 is resistant to phage P7, whereas UW85 is sensitive to phage P7. In other ways, the strain resembles UW85, and it can be easily handled and grown in culture.

Zwittermicin A producing mutants of Z8 may include both naturally occurring and artificially induced mutants. For example, Z8 is generally sensitive to the antibiotics streptomycin and tetracycline. However, it is expected that naturally occurring mutants of Z8 can be isolated that exhibit resistance to one or the other of these antibiotics. Certain of these mutants may be found to produce even higher levels of zwittermicin A. Other mutants of Z8 can be artificially induced by subjecting Z8 to the mutagen N-methyl-nitrosoguanidine in conventional ways. Similar mutants have been made from other useful B. cereus strains, such as UW85 (ATCC 53522), as described in incorporated U.S. Pat. No. 4,877,738.

EXAMPLE 1

Origin of Strains

The geographic origins, and physical and chemical characteristics of the soil samples used in this study are listed in Table 1. All samples were taken from the surface horizon. Measurements of soil pH, organic matter, and the particle size were made by the University of Wisconsin Soil & Plant Analysis Laboratory (Madison, Wis.).

                  TABLE 1                                                          ______________________________________                                         Characteristics of soils used in this study                                                                      % Sand,                                                                               Most recent                             Soil/Site Country pH % Organic.sup.a Silt, Clay.sup.b vegetation             ______________________________________                                         Lutz   Panama    .sup.  nd.sup.c                                                                       5.5     nd     Forest                                    Snyder- Panama nd 6.2 nd Forest                                                Molino                                                                         Barbour- Panama nd 7.1 nd Forest                                               Lathrop                                                                        Moroceli Honduras nd 1.7 nd Maize-Beans                                        San Honduras 5.8 1.5 nd Maize-Beans                                            Matias                                                                         LaVega1 Honduras 6.3 2.3 nd Beans                                              LaVega5 Honduras 5.9 2.5 nd Sorghum-                                                Maize                                                                     Zamorano Honduras nd nd nd Agricultural                                        Arlington USA 6.9 4.2 23, 68, 9 Alfalfa                                        WI                                                                             Hancock USA 6.6 0.8 87, 8, 5 Alfalfa-Oats                                      WI                                                                             Marshfield USA 6.5 3.1 23, 72, 5 Alfalfa                                       WI                                                                             Lancaster USA 7.1 2.3 19, 68, 13 Alfalfa                                       WI                                                                             Madison USA 7.0 3.2 27, 56, 17 Alfalfa                                         WI                                                                             Taos NM USA 8.1 4.3 nd Pasture                                                 Tifton GA USA 6.3 1.0 87, 12, 1 Tobacco                                        Douglas Australia 6.1 2.2 nd Vineyard                                          Gully                                                                          Lelystad Netherlands 7.5 1.8 51, 36, 13 Potatoes                             ______________________________________                                          .sup.a Organic matter content determined by measuring loss of weight afte      ignition.                                                                      .sup.b sand, silt and clay contents were determined by hydrometer              measurements.                                                                  .sup.c ND, not determined.                                               

                  TABLE 2                                                          ______________________________________                                         Strains and isolates used in this study                                          Strain(s)/Isolates Origin                                                    ______________________________________                                         ATCC7064, ATCC27877,                                                                            American Type Culture Collection                                ATCC12826                                                                      BGSC6A3, BGSC6E1, BGSC6E2, Bacillus Genetic Stock Center                       BGSC4A9, BGSC4B1, BGSC4C3,                                                     HD1, BGSC4E1, BGSC4F1,                                                         BGSC4G1, BGSC4H1, BGSC4I1,                                                     BGSC4J1, BGSC4S2                                                               T U. W. Bacteriology Dept. Collection                                          UW85 Alfalfa root, Arlington, WI (26)                                          Soy130 Soybean root, Walnut St. Farm                                            Madison, WI                                                                   ALF1, ALF9, ALF10, ALF13, Roots of alfalfa plants planted in                   ALF19, ALF23, ALF52, ALF53, soil from Arlington, WI and grown in                               ALF79, ALF83, ALF85, ALF94, growth chamber                     ALF95, ALF98, ALF99, ALF108,                                                   ALF109, ALF115, ALF117,                                                        ALF133, ALF137 ,ALF144,                                                        ALF154, ALF157, ALF161,                                                        ALF166, ALF167, ALF173                                                         LUTZ21, LUTZ58, LUTZ128 Lutz soil                                              SNY14, SNY42, 5NY44, SNY45, Snyder-Molino soil                                 SNY73                                                                          AR78, BAR145, BAR177 Barbour-Lathrop soil                                      MOR1, MOR28, MOR37 Moroceli soil                                               SM32, SM43, SM44 San Matias soil                                               VGA19, VGA118, VGA137 LaVega1 soil                                             VGA562, VGA577, VGA598 LaVega5 soil                                            AS7-4, AS8-4, AG8-13, AS4-12, Arlington soil                                   ARL8                                                                           HS1-3, HS23-11, HS24-8, HS24-9 Hancock soil                                    MS1-9, M53-2, MS8-2 Mansfield soil                                             LS2-2, LS2-12, LS33-2 Lancaster soil                                           WS4-12, WS8-8, WS10-15, Madison soil                                           WS16-4, WS22-12                                                                TNM68, TNM155, TNM243 Taos soil                                                TG38, TG42, TG126 Tifton soil                                                  DGA34, DGA37, DGA84, DGA94 Douglas Gully soil                                  LN24, LN75, LN100 Lelystad soil                                                Z8 Zamorano, Honduras                                                          W35 West Madison Farm, Madison, WI                                           ______________________________________                                    

Based on the profiles of fatty acids from 47 isolates analyzed by Five Star Labs (Branford Conn.) and Microbial ID (Newark Del.), all of the isolates were classified as members of the B. cereus group, which includes the species B. mycoides, B. anthracis and B. thuringiensis. The unique rhizoidal morphology of B. mycoides strains differentiates them from B. cereus, and none of the isolates in this collection display B. mycoides-like morphology. B. anthracis is not hemolytic and is usually sensitive to ampicillin and therefore was probably excluded from this collection. Differentiation between B. cereus and B. thuringiensis is difficult with standard methods. Therefore we have followed current recommendations and considered all isolates gathered in this study as B. cereus. Strains BGSC4A9, BGSC4B1, BGSC4C3, HD1, BGSC4E1, BGSC4F1, BGSC4G1, BGSC4H1, BTSC4I1, BGSC4J1 and BGSC4S2 were previously classified by others as B. thuringiensis, and that species designation was retained for those strains.

Assay for Sensitivity to Phage P7

The phages P7 (ATCC 75237) and PB were used to help characterize the strains. The susceptibility of B. cereus strains to infection by phage P7 has proven to have a strong correlation to biocontrol utility and antibiotic production. To propagate these phages, we spread a mixture of melted soft agar (4 g agar/l) with approximately 10⁶ PFU of phage and an excess of B. cereus strain UW85 on 1/2-strength TSA plates. Plates were incubated overnight at 28° C. and then the soft agar was scraped off the plates and suspended in 1/2-strength trypticase soy broth (1/2-strength TSB), (1 ml/plate). Agar and cells were removed by centrifugation, and the supernatant solution was passed through a 0.2 μm filter. Phage titers were typically 1×10¹⁰ PFU/ml.

To screen large numbers of isolates for P7 sensitivity, grids of 48 isolates were grown on 1/10-strength TSA and then cells were transferred with a metal replicator onto 1/10-strength TSA plates that had been spread with dilutions of P7 such that they contained approximately 10⁸, 10⁴, and 10³ PFU/plate. A 1/10-strength TSA plate containing no phage was used as a control. Isolates that appeared to form patches with decreased growth or plaques on plates containing P7 were tested in the soft-agar overlay assay (described below) to determine if they were P7^(s) . Most isolates that were P7⁷ in the primary screen were not re-tested.

In the second test for sensitivity of bacterial isolates to P7, each isolate was grown on 1/2-strength TSA and cells were scraped off plates and mixed in soft agar overlays to form lawns on fresh 1/2-strength TSA plates. Ten-fold dilutions of P7 were placed in 5-μl drops on the plates, which were then incubated at 28° C. If plaques appeared, the strain was designated P7-sensitive (P7^(s) ) Lawns of two isolates, ARL8 and HS23-11, were cleared by undiluted drops of P7, but P7 did not form isolated plaques on these isolates at lower concentrations. The clearing due to high titer drops appeared to be due to P7 rather than a chemical present in UW85 lysates, since high titer drops of lysates of PB, which produces turbid plaques on UW85, did not cause clearing on lawns of ARL8 and HS23-11. Therefore these strains were also scored P7^(s). Isolates whose lawns appeared unaffected by P7 were scored P7^(r).

Assay for Inhibition of Erwinia Herbicola

Inhibition of E. herbicola LS005 was assayed as described in Silo-Suh et al. Appl. Environ. Microbiol., 60: 2023-2030 (1994), with the following modifications. Three-day-old cultures of each B. cereus isolate grown in 1/2-strength TSB were tested to determine whether they inhibited E. herbicola on 1/1000-strength TSA plates. Isolates that produced visible zones of inhibition of E. herbicola were tested again. Isolates that produced visible zones of inhibition in both tests were scored Eh⁺. Isolates that did not noticeably inhibit E. herbicola in each of two initial tests were scored Eh⁻. Some B. cereus isolates did not inhibit E. herbicola during initial testing but did after storage at -20° C., and certain isolates (ALF115,HD1 and BGSC4S2) had variable phenotypes producing either small zones of inhibition or no zone in subsequent tests; these were classified Eh⁻.

Assay for Zwittermicin A and Kanosamine

Zwittermicin A and kanosamine were identified in culture supernatants by cation exchange chrocartridges using CM SEP-PAK cartridges (Millipore, Millford, Mass.) followed by high voltage paper electrophoresis (HVPE). The cation fraction from the equivalent of 4 ml of culture supernatant was applied to the paper, which was stained with silver nitrate after electrophoresis, described in Silo-Suh et al. supra. Isolates that produced material indistinguishable from either authentic zwittermicin A or authentic kanosamine in HVPE were designated zwittermicin A producers or kanosamine producers, respectively. To verify the structural identity of zwittermicin A produced by nine representatives of the collection of isolates, putative-zwittermicin A was purified from these isolates, and subjected to proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (¹ H-NMR) and fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry.

Assay for Suppression of Alfalfa or Tomato Damping-off

Bacterial isolates were grown for four days in 1/2-strength TSB with vigorous shaking at 28° C. and tested in an assay for damping-off. Seeds of alfalfa variety Webfoot MPR or tomato variety Wisconsin 55 were placed in a cell of a 96-cell bedding plant container containing sterilized vermiculite and inoculated with an aliquot of a Bacillus culture and fungal zoospores of Pythium torulosum or spores of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. radicis-lycopersici (FORL). Statistical analyses (analysis of variance, Dunnet's comparison test, standard error of least squared mean) were conducted using the SAS Computer Program (SAS Institute, Raleigh, N.C.). The results of these experiments are summarized in Tables 3-9.

The results of the plant protection assays indicate that for protection of tomato plants against damping off and root rot using Z8, inoculating the soil in which the seeds are planted is more effective than coating the seed with the bacterial inoculum. Tomato seedlings grown from seeds coated with a plant protective strain of B. cereus did not exhibit increased resistance to disease relative to seedlings grown from untreated seeds.

                  TABLE 3                                                          ______________________________________                                         Disease suppression by Bacillus strains                                                    Alfalfa seedling survival (%)**                                    Treatment*  Experiment 1                                                                              Experiment 2                                                                              Experiment 3                                 ______________________________________                                         untreated (-zoospores)                                                                     59.2 ± 4.3 A                                                                           41.7 ± 5.0 AB                                                                          65.0 ± 4.1 A                                untreated (+zoospores)  2.5 ± 0.67 E 18.1 ± 3.8 D  3.5 ± 1.2 E        B. cereus UW85 13.1 ± 1.9 BC 46.2 ± 3.3 A 32.4 ± 3.5 C                                                 B. cereus UW030  6.9 ± 1.1 D 27.5                                          ± 4.9 C  5.0 ± 1.2 E                     B. cereus MOR28 15.6 ± 2.4 BC 47.1 ± 4.4 A 21.3 ± 3.8 D                                                B. cereus SOY130 20.0 ± 2.7 B 32.3                                         ± 3.9 BC 23.3 ± 3.8 D                    B. licheniformis DA33  3.7 ± 1.1 E NT NT                                    B. laevolacticus 13.1 ± 2.1 C NT 22.4 ± 4.4 D                            SB3006                                                                         B. cereus W35 NT 45.2 ± 4.7 A 23.5 ± 4.3 D                               B. cereus Z8 NT 49.4 ± 4.2 A 44.4 ± 4.3 B                                p (trt) .0001 .0001 .0001                                                      p (blk) .2936 .0049 .0001                                                      p (rep) .9869 .8432 .3997                                                    ______________________________________                                          *1 ml of culture grown in 1/2X TSB for four days with vigorous shaking at      28°.                                                                    **Plants were inoculated with 250 or 500 Pythium torolosum zoospores in        Experiment 1; 300 zoospores in Experiment 2; 250, 500, or 750 zoospores i      Experiment 3, and scored 10 days after inoculation.                            10 seeds of alfalfa variety Webfoot MPR were placed in a cell of a 96cell      bedding plant container containing sterilized vermiculite and inoculated       with the Bacillus and Pythium.                                                 In Experiments 1 and 2, each treatment consisted of four blocks each           containing four replicates with three cells in each replicate; therefore       each value represents survival among seedlings from 480 seeds. In              experiment 3, each treatment consisted of six blocks each containing thre      replicates with three cells in each replicate; therefore each value            represents survival among seedlings from 540 seeds.                            For each Experiment, the values were calculated over all levels of             zoospore concentration since there were no significant differences in          survival due to zoospore concentration.                                  

                  TABLE 4                                                          ______________________________________                                         Supression of disease caused by Pythium torulosum by Bacillus strains            Bacterial Tomato seedling emergence (%).sup.b                                Treatment.sup.a                                                                        10 zoospores/seed                                                                          20 zoospores/seed                                                                           Average.sup.c                                 ______________________________________                                         none    28.8 ± 8.0 B                                                                            23.3 ± 6.6 C                                                                             26.1 ± 5.0 C                                 UW85 90.8 ± 2.1 A 90.4 ± 1.8 A 90.6 ± 1.4 AB                          UW030 93.7 ± 1.3 A 77.1 ± 5.9 B 85.4 ± 3.2 B                          MOR28 91.7 ± 1.7 A 92.9 ± 1.6 A 92.3 ± 1.1 A                          SOY130 91.7 ± 1.8 A 88.7 ± 2.3 A 90.2 ± 1.4 AB                        W35 92.9 ± 1.7 A 91.2 ± 1.5 A 92.1 ± 1.1 A                            Z8 89.6 ± 1.5 A 93.3 ± 1.3 A 91.4 ± 1.0 AB                            SB3006 94.2 ± 1.7 A 94.2 ± 1.8 A 94.2 ± 1.2 A                       ______________________________________                                          .sup.a 1.0 ml of Bacillus culture grown in 1/2X TSB for four days with         vigorous shaking at 28° C. was added to each cell.                      .sup.b 10 seeds of tomato variety Wisconsin 55 were placed in a cell of a      96cell bedding plant container containing sterilized vermiculite and           inoculated with the Bacillus culture. The bottom of the flat was flooded       with water containing enough zoospores for 10 or 20 zoospores per seed.        Each treatment at each zoospore level consisted of two blocks each             containing 12 replicates; therefore each value represents the % emergence      among seedlings from 250 seeds 30 days after inoculuation.                     .sup.c Average % emergence of tomato seedlings of both zoospore levels;        values followed by the same letter do not differ significantly at P =          0.05.                                                                    

                  TABLE 5                                                          ______________________________________                                         Suppression of disease caused by Pythium torulosum by Bacillus strains           Bacterial Tomato seedling health (%).sup.b                                   Treatment.sup.a                                                                        10 zoospores/seed                                                                          20 zoospores/seed                                                                           Average.sup.c                                 ______________________________________                                         none    26.9 ± 7.8 B                                                                            16.7 ± 5.9 C                                                                             21.7 ± 4.8 C                                 UW85 88.3 ± 2.2 A 87.1 ± 2.4 A 87.7 ± 1.6 A                           UW030 90.8 ± 2.0 A 70.0 ± 6.6 B 80.4 ± 3.7 B                          MOR28 87.9 ± 2.1 A 92.1 ± 1.5 A 90.0 ± 1.3 A                          SOY130 90.4 ± 1.8 A 85.8 ± 2.6 A 88.1 ± 1.6 A                         W35 90.4 ± 2.1 A 87.9 ± 1.9 A 89.2 ± 1.4 A                            Z8 87.5 ± 1.8 A 86.2 ± 2.4 A 86.9 ± 1.4 AB                            SB3006 90.4 ± 2.3 A 90.8 ± 1.9 A 90.6 ± 1.5 A                       ______________________________________                                          .sup.a 1.0 ml (˜10.sup.9 cfu) of Bacillus culture grown in 1/2X TSB      for four days with vigorous shaking at 28° C. was added to each         cell.                                                                          .sup.b 10 seeds of tomato variety Wisconsin 55 were placed in a cell of a      96cell bedding plant container containing sterilized vermiculite and           inoculated with the Bacillus culture. The bottom of the flat was flooded       with water containing enough zoospores for 10 or 20 zoospores per seed.        Each treatment at each zoospore level consisted of two blocks each             containing 12 replicates; therefore each value represents the % healthy        seedlings from 240 seeds 30 days after inoculation.                            .sup.c Average % healthy tomato seedlings of both zoospore levels; values      followed by the same letter do not differ significantly at P = 0.05.     

                  TABLE 6                                                          ______________________________________                                         Suppression of disease caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. radicis-             lycopersici (FORL) by bacterial strains                                            Treatment.sup.a                                                                            % Emergence.sup.b                                                                             % Healthy.sup.c                                ______________________________________                                         Untreated    90.6 ± 2.9 A                                                                               87.5 ± 2.9 A                                      AS4-12 D 63.1 ± 4.1 B 52.2 ± 4.3 B                                       No. 11 D 29.7 ± 4.7 C 20.6 ± 4.1 C                                       SOY130 28.7 ± 4.3 CD 18.7 ± 3.9 C                                        W35 27.5 ± 4.1 CD 18.1 ± 3.4 C                                           MS1-9 24.3 ± 4.1 CDE 16.9 ± 3.8 C                                        UW030 23.4 ± 3.9 CDE 13.7 ± 3.0 C                                        UW85 21.5 ± 4.7 CDE 13.1 ± 3.8 C                                         Z8 20.6 ± 3.6 CDE 14.7 ± 3.0 C                                           MOR28 19.4 ± 3.2 DE 12.5 ± 2.7 C                                         AS4-12 19.1 ± 3.9 DE 13.7 ± 3.0 C                                        water 17.2 ± 3.2 E 11.5 ± 2.9 C                                        ______________________________________                                          .sup.a Tomato seeds coated with 10.sup.5 Bacillus spores or a drench (D)       of 1.0 ml (˜10.sup.9 cfu) from a fourday-old culture. Strain No. 11      is Bacillus polymyxa, all other strains are Bacillus cereus.                   .sup.b 10 seeds of tomato variety Wisconsin 55 were planted in a cell of       96cell bedding plant container containing sterilized vermiculite and the       drench treatments applied. 5000 Fusarium spores were inoculated into each      cell. Each treatment consisted of 4 blocks each containing 8 replicates;       therefore each value represents the mean ± se % emergence from 320          seeds 24 days after inoculation. Means with the same letter are not            significantly different at P = 0.05.                                           .sup.c The mean ± se % healthy plants 24 days after inoculation; value      followed with the same letter do not differ significantly at P = 0.05.   

                  TABLE 7                                                          ______________________________________                                         Suppression of disease caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp.                       radicis-lycopersici (FORL) by bacterial strains.                                        Inhibition                                                                              Inhibi-                                                       of Erwinia tion of                                                            Treat- herbicola.sup.b FORL.sup.c                                              ment* (mm) (mm) % Emergence.sup.d % Healthy.sup.e                            ______________________________________                                         Z8     7.5      3*      88.6 ± 2.7 A                                                                          83.3 ± 3.3 A                                UW85 9 3*  87.6 ± 2.7 AB 81.4 ± 2.5 AB                                   No.6 0 3.5 86.2 ± 2.7 AB 79.0 ± 2.9 ABC                                  UW030 0 0   81.4 ± 3.3 AB 76.2 ± 3.8 ABC                                 W35 6  2.5* 80.5 ± 3.3 AB 73.3 ± 3.8 ABC                                 MOR28 10 3*  79.5 ± 4.0 AB 70.9 ± 4.2 ABCD                               AS4-12 9 4*  77.1 ± 4.5 ABC 68.6 ± 4.7 CD                                SOY130 8.5 5*  75.7 ± 5.6 BC 69.0 ± 6.5 BCD                              W1 0 6.5 66.2 ± 6.5 CD 60.0 ± 6.9 DE                                     MS1-9 10.5 4*  65.7 ± 4.9 CD 55.2 ± 4.9 EF                               No. 9 0 0   61.9 ± 5.4 D 52.4 ± 4.9 EFG                                  No. 11 0 0   56.2 ± 5.1 DE 45.2 ± 4.5 FG                                 water 0 0   47.6 ± 6.0 E 41.4 ± 5.8 G                                  ______________________________________                                          .sup.a 1.0 ml of culture grown in 1/2× TSB for four days with            vigorous shaking at 28° C. was added to each cell. All strains are      Bacillus cereus except No. 6 and No. 9 are Xanthomonas, No. 11 is Bacillu      polymyxa, and W1 is Pseudomonas.                                               .sup.b Erwinia herbicola cells are spread on a .001× TSA plate. A 8      mm well was cut into the agar and filled with 100 μl of culture. Zones      of inhibition were measured after 3 days. Values represent the mean of tw      zones.                                                                         .sup.c 10.sup.4 FORL spores were spread onto a Potato Dextrose Agar plate      A 8 mm well was cut into the agar and filled with 100 μl of culture.        Zones of inhibition were measured after 3 days. *Not a clear zone, growth      of FORL was slowed within the zone. Values represent the means of two          zones.                                                                         .sup.d 10 seeds of tomato variety Wisconsin 55 were planted in a cell of       96cell bedding plant container containing sterilized vermiculite and           inoculated with the bacterial culture. 5000 Fusarium spores were               inoculated into each cell. Each treatment consisted of 3 blocks each           containing 7 replicates; therefore each value represents the mean ± se      % emergence from 210 seeds 29 days after inoculation. A control of 70          untreated seeds showed a 95.7%  #emergence. Means with the same letter ar      not significantly different at P = 0.05.                                       .sup.e The mean ± se % healthy plants 29 days after inoculation.      

                  TABLE 8                                                          ______________________________________                                         Disease suppression of Pythium torulosum by Bacillus strains                           Erwinia                                                                  zone of Tomato seedling survival (%).sup.c                                           inhibition                                                                              10 zoospores/                                                                             20 zoospores/                                        Treatment.sup.a (mm).sup.b seed seed Average.sup.d                           ______________________________________                                         untreated        26.2 ± 6.6                                                                             18.3 ± 5.0                                                                           22.3 ± 4.1                               UW85 11 87.9 ± 2.9 81.2 ± 4.8 84.6 ± 2.8                              UW030  0 88.3 ± 2.7 74.5 ± 6.2 81.9 ± 3.4                             MOR28 12 90.0 ± 2.2 90.8 ± 2.8 90.4 ± 1.7                             SOY130 10 89.6 ± 1.7 82.5 ± 4.8 86.0 ± 2.5                            W35  8 93.3 ± 1.6 87.1 ± 3.9 90.2 ± 2.1                               Z8  8 87.5 ± 2.1 91.2 ± 2.1 89.4 ± 1.4                                SB3006 11 91.2 ± 2.5 92.1 ± 1.8 91.7 ± 1.5                          ______________________________________                                          .sup.a 1.0 ml of culture grown in 1/2× TSB for four days with            vigorous shaking at 28° C.                                              .sup.b 10.sup.5 Erwinia cells were spread onto a water agar plate. 0.1 ml      of Bacillus culture was placed in an 8 mm well cut in the agar. Zones of       inhibition were scored after 6 days.                                           .sup.c 10 seeds of tomato variety Wisconsin 55 were placed in a cell of a      96cell bedding plant container containing sterilized vermiculite and           inoculated with the Bacillus culture. The bottom of the flat was flooded       with water containing enough zoospores for 10 or 20 zoospores per seed.        Each treatment at each zoospore level consisted of two blocks each             containing 12 replicates; therefore each value represents the survival         among seedlings from 240 seeds 9 days after inoculation.                       .sup.d Average survival of tomato seedlings over both zoospore levels.   

                  TABLE 9                                                          ______________________________________                                         Disease suppression of Pythium torulosum by Bacillus strains.                          Tomato seedling survival (%).sup.a                                     Treatment                                                                              0 zoospores/seed                                                                           25 zoospores/seed                                                                           75 zoospores/seed                             ______________________________________                                         untreated                                                                              87.2 ± 2.3                                                                              5.0 ± 1.2 0 ± 0                                        UW85 93.8 ± 1.5 2.2 ± 1.8 0 ± 0                                       UW030 91.1 ± 2.3 0 ± 0 0 ± 0                                          MOR28 87.2 ± 2.8 7.8 ± 5.8 0 ± 0                                      SOY130 91.1 ± 2.5 0 ± 0 0 ± 0                                         W35 92.8 ± 2 7 3.9 ± 2.9 0 ± 0                                        Z8 87.2 ± 2.6 4.4 ± 4.6 0 ± 0                                         SB3006 89.4 ± 2.3 5.5 ± 5.1 .55 ± .57                               ______________________________________                                          .sup.a 10 seeds of tomato variety Wisconsin 55 coated with a Bacillus          strain were placed in a cell of a 72cell bedding plant container               containing sterile vermiculite. The flat was flooded with water containin      zoospores. Each treatment consisted of two blocks each containing 9            replicates; therefore each value represents the survival among seedlings       from 180 seeds after 12 days of growth.                                  

Testing Diversity of Strains

To estimate the diversity of zwittermicin A and kanosamine-producers, we sought to determine the minimum number of unique zwittermicin A and/or kanosamine-producing strains in our collection. We considered isolates to be distinct strains only if phenotypic differences between them could be shown. Therefore, isolates were subjected to a series of phenotypic tests. All characterization was performed on isolates that had been colony purified on 1/2-strength TSA. To test for antibiotic resistance, isolates were streaked on 1/2-strength TSA containing tetracycline (10 μg/ml), neomycin (5 μ/ml), or streptomycin (10 μg/ml), and incubated at 28° C. overnight. Isolates that grew similarly when streaked in the presence or absence of antibiotic were classified as antibiotic resistant. To test isolates for pigment production, they were grown on MES minimal medium at 28° C. for seven days and then scored visually. MES minimal medium contained 9.75 g/L 2-[N-morpholine]ethan-sulfonic acid (MES), 2 g/L (NH₄)₂ SO₄, 0.2 g/L MgSO₄.7 H₂ O, 0.25 mg/L MnSO₄.7 H₂ O, 1.25 g/L K₂ HPO₄.3H₂ O, 2 g/L L-glutamic acid, 10 mg/L thiamine, 15 g/L agar, 40 mg/L FeCl₃.6H₂ O, 5 g/L sucrose and 1 mM of the amino acids threonine, serine, leucine, valine, and alanine, and was adjusted to pH 6.1. MES-Thr medium was MES minimal medium lacking threonine. We characterized the ability of isolates to grow on MES-Thr media by streaking isolates onto MES-Thr plates and incubating at 28° C. for four days and recording the rate of appearance of colonies for each strain. Phages ΦATCC 7064 and ΦATCC 27877 were obtained from the American Type Culture Collection and were propagated on bacterial strains ATCC 7064 and ATCC 27877, respectively. Phage Φ63 was propagated on strain Bt-1, and both Φ63 and Bt-1 were obtained from R. Landen. Sensitivity of isolates to phages Φ63, ΦATCC7064 and ΦATCC27877 was determined by the soft-agar overlay method described above for P7, with plaque formation as the indicator of sensitivity. The results of these studies are summarized in Tables 10 and 11.

Association of Zwittermicin A Production with P7^(s) and Eh⁺ Isolates

It was known that B. cereus strain UW85 produces two antibiotics, the novel aminopolyol, zwittermicin A, and kanosamine, that contribute to the suppression of alfalfa seedling damping-off. UW85 was originally identified in a labor-intensive screen for biological control activity. The study conducted above was intended to investigate whether sensitivity to P7 (P7^(s)) and the ability to inhibit E. herbicola (Eh⁺) were phenotypes that could be used to identify zwittermicin A producers and useful biocontrol strains.

4,307 B. cereus and B. thuringiensis isolates were screened for P₇ ^(s) and/or Eh⁺ phenotypes. The isolates were obtained from geographically diverse soil samples collected at a total of 16 locations in five countries (Table 1 above), from alfalfa and soybean roots, and from stock culture collections (Table 2 above). The number of P7^(s) or P7^(r) Eh⁺ isolates identified from each source and the number of isolates tested were tabulated. P7^(s) isolates were identified in samples from 14 of the 16 soils examined as well as from alfalfa and soybean roots. Of the 87 P7^(s) isolates, all were Eh⁺ except SNY73 and LN100. P7^(s) Eh⁺ isolates were identified from each of the soils as well as from alfalfa roots. Among all the isolates tested, approximately 2% (85/4,307) of the isolates examined were P7^(s) Eh⁺ and 7% (132/1,876) were P7^(r) Eh⁺.

Quantitative Comparison of Zwittermicin A Production

This quantitative comparison was performed by the end-point dilution analysis described above. As can be seen from Table 10, strain Z8 produces at least as much zwittermicin A as strain UW85.

                                      TABLE 10                                     __________________________________________________________________________     Characteristics that differentiate Bacillus cereus strains.                         ZmA.sup.a                       Erwinia herbicola                            concentration     Colony Color Colony inhibition zone.sup.d                   Strains μg/ml P7.sup.b Str.sup.c Neo.sup.c Tet.sup.c on MES Morpholog                                          y (mm)                                    __________________________________________________________________________     UW85 14.6 ± 1.1                                                                         S  S  S  S  orange opaque                                                                               11.7 ± 1.7                               MOR28 ND S S S S orange opaque 10 ± 0                                       AS4-12 ND S S S S orange opaque ND                                             DGA34 ND S S S S orange clear ND                                               SOY130 ND S R R S orange opaque ND                                             Z8 17.4 ± 3.7 R S ND S white opaque   7 ± 0.8                            W35  9.3 ± 1.0 R S ND S orange opaque   9 ± 2.2                          MS1-9 ND S S S S orange opaque ND                                              UW030 0 S R S R orange opaque ND                                             __________________________________________________________________________      .sup.a Concentration of zwittermicin in culture filtrate determined by         endpoint dilution method of SiloSuh et al. (1994).                             ND = not determined.                                                           .sup.b S and R indicate sensitivity and resistance to phage P7.                .sup.c Streptomycin at 10 μg/ml, neomycin at 5 μg/ml, and                tetracycline at 10 μg/ml. S and R indicate sensitivity and resistance       to streptomycin, neomycin, and tetracycline.                                   .sup.d Inhibition zone size measured from edge of well containing B.           cereus strain.                                                           

                  TABLE 11                                                         ______________________________________                                         Erwinia inhibition on 1/1000X TSA                                                     Zone size (mm)**                                                        Strain*                                                                               Experiment 1  Experiment 2                                                                              Experiment 3                                   ______________________________________                                         none   0             0          0                                                DA33 0 NT NT                                                                   UW85 4 5.5 8                                                                   SOY130 5.3 5 8                                                                 MOR28 6 5 9                                                                    UW030 0 0 0                                                                    SB3006 5 NT 8                                                                  W35 NT 3 3                                                                     Z8 NT 5 6                                                                    ______________________________________                                          *All Bacillus cultures were grown in 1/2X TSB for four days with vigorous      shaking at 28°. Erwinia was grown in 1/2X TSB overnight.                10.sup.5 Erwinia cells were spread on each plate.                              50 μl of the Bacillus culture to be tested was placed in a 6mm well;        except in Experiment 3, 100 μl was placed in well.                          All Bacillus cultures were fully sporulated except DA33, which did not         produce spores under these conditions.                                         Zones of inhibition were scored after 1 day.                                   **Each value represents the mean of three zones for experiment 1, two          zones for experiment 2, and one zone for experiment 3.                    

What is claimed is:
 1. A biologically pure culture of a Bacillus cereuss strain having all of the identifying characteristics of Bacillus cereuss strain Z8 ATCC
 202075. 2. The culture of claim 1, wherein the strain is Z8 ATCC
 202075. 3. A biologically pure culture of a mutant of Bacillus cereuss strain Z8 ATCC 202075 wherein the mutant produces zwittermicin A and protects a plant against damping off disease.
 4. The culture of claim 3, wherein the plant is an alfalfa plant.
 5. The culture of claim 3, wherein the plant is a tomato plant.
 6. An inoculum for application to a plant comprising a carrier and bacteria in a quantity effective to protect the plant from damping off disease, the bacteria selected from the group consisting of Bacillus cereuss Z8 ATCC 202075 and a mutant of a Bacillus cereus having all of the identifying characteristics of Bacillus cereuss Z8 ATCC 202075 which produces zwittermicin A and protects the plant against damping off disease.
 7. A method for protecting plants growing in a medium from damping off disease comprising the steps of placing at least in the immediate vicinity of the plant to be protected an effective quantity of a bacteria selected from the group consisting of Bacillus cereus Z8 (ATCC 202075) and a mutant thereof retaining the ability to produce zwittermicin A and the ability to protect plants from damping off disease. 